Many types of heavy-equipment machines, such as tractors or skid-steer loaders, include a hydraulic system (1) for facilitating movement (e.g., via a ground-drive assembly) of the machines, (2) for actuating components of the machines (e.g., via cylinder-actuated lift arms), and/or (3) for operating attachment tools associated with the machines. For example, certain skid-steer loaders can include a ground-drive assembly with a hydrostatic transmission that use hydraulic power to generate movement of the skid-steer loader (e.g., via wheels or tracks). Such hydraulic power is also commonly used to actuate the lift arms of the skid-steer loader. Furthermore, certain attachment tools that can be associated with the skid-steer loader may use the skid-steer loader's hydraulic system to enable operation of the attachment tools. Examples of such attachment tools include brooms, augers, rotary cutters, tillers, mulchers, rock wheels, stump grinders, breakers, vibratory rollers, or the like.
Generally, a hydraulic system for a skid-steer loader will include a primary cooling system for cooling the hydraulic oil that is used during movement of the skid-steer loader. Such cooling is required as the hydraulic oil becomes heated due to use by the skid-steer loader's ground-drive assembly. However, when the skid-steer loader uses an attachment tool that requires a significant amount of hydraulic power to operate (i.e., a high oil flow demand), the primary cooling system may be inadequate to maintain the hydraulic oil at a sufficiently-cool operating temperature. In such cases, certain previously-used skid-steer loaders have been known to include a secondary cooling system that functions to cool the hydraulic oil when the skid-steer loader use attachment tools. However, such previously-used secondary cooling systems have numerous drawbacks.
For instance, such previously-used secondary cooling systems would generally be positioned on a top of the skid-steer loader, such as on top of a cab of the skid-steer loader. In such cases, the secondary cooling systems would extend significantly above the skid-steer loader, which would inhibit overhead clearance of the skid-steer loader and restrict movement in confined spaces. In addition, positioning the secondary cooling systems on the cab of the skid-steer loader can inhibit air flow through the secondary cooling system, which decreases cooling efficiency and can generate high back pressures. Finally, positioning the secondary cooling systems on the cab of the skid-steer loader makes it difficult to access the secondary cooling system for maintenance, cleaning, and the like.